CREW AS ABOVE JOINED THE 418TH SQDN, 100TH BOMB GROUP ON 28 NOV 43

MISSIONS OF LT DEAN RADTKE CREW FROM S/SGT CHARLES ALLEN FORM 5's

CREW GOES ON FLAK LEAVE WHILE LT RADTKE RECOVERS FROM WOUNDS AND LT GORDON DEVAULT TAKES OVER AS COPILOT

ON MAY 27, 2007, CHARLES ALLEN GAVE US THE FOLLOWING INFO ON THE DEC 30, 1943 AND MARCH 6, 1944 MISSIONS:

DEC 30, 1943: We had no idea of the damage done in the cockpit until we landed. I remember seeing oil pouring from one of our engines which was wind milling all the way back to Thorpe Abbotts. Had we run out of oil on that engine, it would have seized up and possibly torn the wing right off. When we landed we had just pulled off the end of the runway onto the perimeter track and the engines died. Our fuel tanks were bone dry! I also remember a P-38 staying with us as we made our way across France. This kept German fighters at bay from making an attack on our crippled plane. (P-38 was either from the 20th FG or 55th FG). The thing I remember the most was that they had to pry Lt Radtke's hands off the Wheel, they were frozen on them!

March 6, 1944: When we hit briefing that day, we thought we were going to Bremen or a No-Ball since we had been to Berlin on March 4th. Instead the curtain is pulled back and there it is, "Big B", Berlin again! Well I just got a terrible feeling in my stomach and the responses in the room reflected that. That room got pretty quiet really quick. We listened really intently as if our lives depended on it, and it did! Our position in formation, good, no "tail end charlie" for us, damn worst position to fly and we had seen our share of it! Start engines and the ROG, BTG, both WG’s and TG were in the Radio compartment sitting against the bulkhead waiting for take off. Lt Radtke, our pilot, was respected by every man on the Crew. During training in Rapid City, South Dakota, Lt Radtke made sure every man on the crew had at least 30 minutes at the controls of a B-17. This allowed him to inspect every station in the air and to see what is was like from our perspective and we could get some flying time in case of emergency. Pretty smart man!

On March 6, 1944 we were flying "Ronnie R" which was named after Lt Radtke’s newly born son Ronald R.

Source: 100th bomb Group Foundation database.

ON DECEMBER 30, 1943 ON A MISSION TO LUDWIGSHAVEN, DEAN RADTKE'S AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SEVERE FLAK DAMAGE IN THE TARGET AREA. IT WAS THEN ATTACKED BY A PAIR OR FW190'S SOUTHWEST OF ABBYVILLE WHERE A NUMBER OF 20MM SHELLS RIDDLED THE LEFT WING AND NOSE.

ONE SHELL SOCKED THROUGH THE NAVIGATORS COMPARTMENT AND STRUCK THE COPILOT, LT ROBERT DIGBY IN THE HEAD AND HE WAS DECAPITATED. SHELL FRAGMENTS STRUCK LT. RADTKE, WOUNDING HIM IN THE FACE, HEAD, AND IN THE NECK NEXT TO HIS JUGULAR VEIN. ONE FRAGMENT COMPLETELY CLOSED HIS RIGHT EYE AND SPLINTERS FROM THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WERE DRIVEN INTO THE MUSCLES OF HIS RIGHT LEG, RENDERING IT USELESS.

THE EXPLOSION ALSO RIPPED THE OXYGEN MASK FROM HIS FACE AND STUNNED THE ENGINEER RUSSELL PINNER. UPON REGAINING HIS SENSES, PINNER COULD SEE THE PILOT AND COPILOT SLUMPED OVER THE CONTROLS. BLOOD WAS SPLATTERED OVER THE SHELL-PITTED COCKPIT. THE WINDOWS WERE SHATTERED AND BROKEN. AT THIS TIME RADTKE REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS AND CALLED THE REST OF THE CREW AND REASSURED THEM EVERYTHING WAS OK. MOST OF THE CREW WAS UNAWARE OF THE DAMAGE IN THE COCKPIT AND THE LOSS OF THE COPILOT OR THE INJURIES LT. RADTKE HAD SUSTAINED.

BOMBARDIER LT AGNETTI WAS CALLED UP AND MOVED THE COPILOTS BODY TO THE NAVIGATORS COMPARTMENT, THEN RETURNED TO ASSIST LT RADTKE. DUE TO THE LOSS OF ONE ENGINE AND SEVERED CONTROL CABLES, THE PLANE LAGGED BEHIND THE FORMATION. LT RADTKE MADE THE DECISION (DESPITE THE UNCERTAINTY OF HIS ABILITY TO STAY CONSCIOUSE) TO ATTEMPT TO REGAIN POSTION IN THE FORMATION. FAILURE TO DO SO WOULD RESULT IN THE DAMAGED AIRCRAFT TRYING TO MAKE IT BACK ALONE OVER ENEMY TERRITORY WITH GERMAN FIGHTERS LOOKING FOR "STRAGGLERS" TO PICK OFF.

WITH FINGERS USELESS BECAUSE OF SEVERE CUTS, HE USED THE BUTTS OF HIS HANDS TO MANIPULATE THE CONTROLS AND FOUGHT HIS WAY BACK INTO POSITION. UPON REACHING THORPE ABBOTTS, LT RADTKE BROUGHT HIS SHIP (AND THE REMAINDER OF THE CREW) IN FOR A PREFECT LANDING. FOR HIS ACTION THAT DAY, LT DEAN RADTKE RECEIVED THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS, THE NATIONS SECOND HIGHEST AWARD FOR VALOR AND BRAVERY.

ON 30 DEC 43 (LUDWIGSHAVEN, CHEMICALS) BOB DIGBY WAS DECAPITATED BY A 20MM SHELL AND IS BURIED AT CAMBRIDGE. HE WAS REPLACED AS CP BY LT GORDON E. DEVAULT WHO BECAME A POW ON 06 MAR 44 (BERLIN).

SGT J. G. KRUSIENSKI WAS FLYING IN THE BALL TURRET IN PLACE OF CASMER SZYMANSKI AND WAS KIA BY A 20MM WHICH SO BADLY DAMAGED THE BALL TURRET THAT KRUNSIENSKI COULD NOT BE GOTTEN UP INTO THE SHIP. KRUSIENSKI WAS THE REGULAR TG ON THE H. A. ALF CREW WHEN HE JOINED THE 100TH.

CREW ON 6 MAR 1944 BERLIN:
SHOT DOWN DURING FIGHTER ATTACK NEAR HASELUNNE AT APPROXIMATELY 1200 HOURS. AIRCRAFT (42-97491) CRASHED NEAR TWISTRIGEN. ONE KIA, REMAINING SUCCESSFULLY BAILED OUT AND WERE TAKEN PRISONER. AIRCRAFT IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN DESTROYED BY Ofw REINTHALER OF FIGHTER GESCHWADER II.

CREW OF 42-97491 ON 6 MAR 1944 "RONNIE R"

Email = wgordon949@msn. (William Gordon):
My dad (Jerome Gordon WG) was in the 100th. He originally was in a crew headed by Herbert Alf but soon after his arrival was transferred to a crew headed by Dean Radtke. The co-pilot, Robert Digby, was killed in a mission over Ludwigshafen and Radtke was wounded but got the plane back home. I am trying to find any documentation on this crew, the aircraft and mission. There is a small paragraph in the book Century Bombers about the mission and crew but not much info. Any ideas where I might inquire? Thanks.